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The Airmen's Stories - P.O. (FAA) R E Dubber

 

Ronald Edward Dubber was born in Portsmouth on 2nd October 1917, the son of Albert Edward Dubber (1889-1981) and Dorothy Ellen Beatrice Dubber (nee Neal 1893-1987).

He joined the Fleet Air Arm in 1939. He did his elementary flying training at 24 EFTS Sydenham, Northern Ireland, with the rank of Leading Airman.

Dubber did his intermediate and advanced training at No. 1 FTS Leuchars on No. 6 Course, which ran from 6th November 1939 to 21st April 1940. Dubber joined 808 Squadron when it was formed at Worthy Down on 1st July 1940. It moved north to Castletown on 8th September where it came under Fighter Command, flying Fulmars on dockyard defence.

808 squadron returned to Admiralty control on 2nd October and was moved to Donibristle. Dubber embarked with the squadron in HMS Ark Royal on 22nd October 1940 and took part in actions in the Mediterranean.

On 30th June 1941 Ark Royal  prepared to fly off twenty six Hurricanes to Malta with HMS Furious flying off a further eight.

One of the aircraft crashed into the bridge structure and started a fire on the flight deck.Two officers and one rating were killed. One other officer and two ratings died of injuries later that day. Two officers and four ratings later died from their injuries. Ten ratings were seriously injured. This accident prevented the last six aircraft from being flown off.

A signal sent on 3rd July recorded Dubber as 'seriously ill with severe burns' and suggested that his mother in Dunfermline be contacted. However by 13th July he was recorded as 'improving'.

Dubber was commissioned in January 1943. On 17th July 1944 Dubber was back in service with 1841 Squadron FAA aboard HMS Formidable. He took off in Corsair JT450 for a strike on the Norwegian coast. It was hit by flak and ditched. Dubber swam ashore near Oeksfjord.

He was taken to Stalag Luft 3, prisoner number 6942.

After the war Dubber returned to the FAA. He married Angela Elizabeth Losh in mid-1946 in Poole.

On 10th September 1951 he was serving with 807 Squadron aboard the carrier HMS Ocean in the Mediterranean. On landing his Sea Fury FB11 WF614, the starboard undercarriage leg collapsed and the aircraft skidded across the deck, went over the side and sank.

Dubber's body was not recovered.

It is recorded that on the same day Leading Pilots Mate Norman Fisher RN died aboard HMS Ocean, and it could well be that his death is connected to the accident. He was 23 and lies in Capuccinin Naval Cemetery in Malta.

 


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